Swifts turn up title heat (From Western Telegraph)

Swifts turn up title heat

pembrokeshire football league division one

MONKTON SWIFTS 3 TENBY 1

MONKTON Swifts turned up the title heat with this comfortable victory over visiting Tenby, at Monkton Lane.

With seven successive time champions Hakin United putting on a brilliant display to beat West End 4-1 and reach the semi finals of the west Wales intermediate cup, the Swifts took full advantage by beating Tenby and securing another vital three points which puts them well clear at the top of the league.

Benno Jones' side took the lead in the 17th minute. A wicked Matthew Price low hard cross from the left, saw luckless Jason Thomas bang the ball into his own net. The league's top goal scorer Price had earlier squandered two good one-on-one chances with understandably a hint of title nerves evident.

The game was held up for at least 20 minutes after Tenby's striker Jack Christopher picked up a nasty injury after colliding with the stand side's wall. It was a sorry site to see the youngster carted off by ambulance to Withybush Hospital.

Once play resumed Price made amends for his earlier misses, latching onto a Dai Patterson cross, the classy striker took the ball on his chest and then unleashed a tremendous volley into the roof of the net, giving him his 36th goal of what has been a terrific season.

Midway through the secondhalf the Swifts went three up.

Patterson played a neat one two with Wayne Brunton, and the latter drilled low and hard into the bottom corner past the outstretched Dewi Davies.

Tenby's player/manager Gavin Scotcher came off the bench and made an immediate impact when he latchedonto a long ball over the top and raced onto neatly place his shot past Craig Reardon. But a dramatic comeback by the Seasiders never really looked on the cards as the Swifts shut up shop and deservedly bagged the precious league points.

MONKTON SWIFTS: Craig Reardon, Daniel Hart, Chris Manning, Paul Jarvis, James Archer, Darren Shaw, Dean Busby, Dai Patterson, Matthew Price, Dean Driscoll, Wayne Brunton. SUBS: Lee Jones, Lee Gilpin, Mark Powell.

TENBY: Dewi Davies, Ben Brooks, Mark James, Dave Rogers, Dai Merrick, Anthony Griffiths, Phil Catlin, Jason Thomas, Jack Christopher, David Day, Ryan Lawrence. SUB: Gavin Scotcher.

REFEREE: Ian Baxter.